JUNE WATCH PARTY - Transformers (2007), Shrek (2001), Mansfield Park (1999)
"An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager."
- IMDB
Here's my lore drop for you:
When I was a kid, my dad took us to the Simpsons Movie in theaters - you know, just your classic family film. Afterwards, we illegally waltzed in to a neighboring theater and watched Transformers. I clearly remember watching like more than half the film. My sister and I ended up loving the next movie as well. We watched the DVDs a bunch of times, and to this day, we constantly reference them to each other.
Honestly, going back to the first movie now, it's not that bad. Shia LeBeouf is so great and fun to watch. It's always weird when these kinds of movies make humans more important than they actually are. Like who cares about the people in any monster movie? Why is this random teenager the savior of this op alien race? But the action was solid. The comedic lines hit. The cast worked well together. It still holds up as a solid action movie and the immediate sequel is not too bad either.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆
"A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back."
- IMDB
The intro credit sequence lets you know what you’re in for right away. The fairy tale fake-out, straight into “All Star,” and then the disgusting day-in-the-life of Shrek—it immediately tells you this film is going to be the antithesis of the fairy tale genre. A big middle finger to the Disney company. From the jump, it actively rejects the traditional fairy tale formula, both literally and figuratively, and it works so well with the humor.
Shrek has prevailed as a classic for over 20 years because of that. It leans into that wacky, irreverent, early-2000s energy. I miss the 2000s. Karens would want this movie canceled if it came out today. The jokes and innuendos wouldn’t fly now considering people got mad at Disney for mentioning periods in one of their movies.
Dare I compare this to Monty Python? I mean, they’re considered iconic, classic, and revolutionary—but have you seen The Meaning of Life? The singing bird situation, the mama bear rug, the dragon-and-Donkey love thing—Shrek shares that same wacky, absurd, kind of adult-ish sense of humor. Sorry for that controversial statement, but I do compare it to Monty Python in a way.
Mike Myers as Shrek is such a good choice. Eddie Murphy as Donkey is also iconic—“I’m making waffles!” Those two are the heart of the story and carry the film’s comedy from start to finish.
Fiona is also a fun character. She sticks with the theme of the film because she’s about as far from a traditional Disney princess as you can get. I think that solidified her arc with the curse of being an ogre, and honestly, that’s pretty clever. So many girls look at this princess not as a beautiful, charismatic, thin, perfect fairy tale girl, but as a “fat, ugly” individual who isn’t afraid to belch in your face or punch a dude. That’s pretty iconic.
But Farquaad—wow. Best villain in all of animation. There, I said it. Every scene with him is gold. He’s ridiculous. Such a legend.
This brings me to my favorite lines and scenes. The introduction to Farquaad was amazing. It was menacing and intense, and then it led to the reveal of his height and the incredible interrogation of the Gingerbread Man. “Do you know the Muffin Man?” “The Muffin Man?” That whole exchange is comedy gold.
Shrek rescuing Fiona from the castle was genuinely fun. The bridge scene with him and Donkey—“Shrek! I’m looking down!”—was hilarious. The action was actually exciting, spoof or not. And let’s not forget the best line in the entire movie: “Ogres are like onions.” They have layers. That whole bit is unforgettable.
Honestly, this whole movie experience—it may have been several years since I’d seen it, but I watched it so much as a kid, just like so many people in my generation. I still remembered almost every line.
Anyways, Shrek makes me cringe a little, but it’s quite the guilty pleasure.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆
"Fanny, born into a poor family, is sent away to live with wealthy uncle Sir Thomas, his wife and their four children, where she'll be brought up for a proper introduction to society."
- IMDB
I've seen Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma. Mansfield Park is the last of the big 4 that I only just watched. I went with the Johnny Lee Miller version - big fan of his. My biggest take away after this movie was actually how different each of Jane Austen's stories are from each other. They're all romances but not the cookie cutter Hallmark garbage. Mansfield Park really dived deep into the morality of the High Class during the final days of Slavery. Each of Austen's stories gave interesting perspectives of polite society, but this one hit different as we see Fanny's moral code against the elite in a way we haven't seen. It's different than Elizabeth calling out Darcy's arrogance. There's a bigger picture. It's more vague in the books but it's there and I'm glad Jane Austen touched on such topis even lightly. The adaption touched on it a little more and was very well done. I quite enjoyed it. There's not an Austen classic I've yet to dislike.
My Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆